Getting gardening right

Staff reporter

With the stresses of life starting to take their toll, and the recent weather working wonders on your garden’s soil, this is the opportune time get your hands dirty, clear your mind and put some nutritious fruit, vegetables and herbs on the table.

To make starting your garden easier and more sustainable, we turned to the Nutrition and Food Security Alliance of Namibia (NAFSAN), who have a wealth of information available online. Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to finding the right spot to plant, how to tend your soil and some of the main things to keep in mind.

Where to position your garden

Walk around, look, and observe with focus on Water, Sun, Wind, and Security.

You can grow vegetables directly in the soil or in containers such as bottles or used tyres, or vertical with pallets.

WATER - Can you catch water into your garden from any runoff from the soil/slope around your shack or from your roof or your outdoor washing area/shower?

SUN - Look at the sun’s position and its path around your space:

East = best position for your garden (morning sun).

North = garden gets winter sun, also good for your garden.

South = garden gets a lot of shade in winter, not ideal.

West = garden gets hot afternoon sun, not ideal - yet you can create some shade that protects your garden from the strong sun.

WIND - Are there strong winds coming from one direction? Use natural wind-protection or create a windbreak to protect your garden.

SECURITY - Will your garden be secure enough? What threats are there, such as people walking, dogs, chickens, etc? And will you be able to easily access your garden? If you have quick and easy access to your garden, you will enjoy growing food and be more likely to have success.

WATER:

Water your garden regularly, yet be careful to not over-water it. Before watering, check the soil with your finger, whether it is still moist, or dry. Water early in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is going down and is not that hot anymore. However, in winter only water in the morning after the sun has come up, and not in the evening.

COMPOST/MANURE:

Add some well-decomposed compost or manure to your garden every now and then to keep your soil fertile and healthy.

WEEDING:

Make sure every time you water or work in your garden that you pull out the weeds, because they compete with your vegetables for nutrients and water.

MULCH:

Make sure that you add lots of new mulch again and again, as your old mulch will continue to decompose and become part of your fertile garden soil.

PEST CONTROL:

You can limit a lot of damage by observing your garden and taking out any pests as soon as they appear among your plants. Only use organic or home-made insecticides, and only if you must. Do not use chemical pesticides. They are bad for the health of your soil and your own health, since your vegetables take in all these chemicals.

TRELLISING & CLEANING UP:

Your vertical plants (like tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers) should grow on the sticks and trellises that you build for them, so that their fruits don’t lie on the ground and pests cannot eat them, and they will not get rotten so easily. Also, make sure to regularly remove old plants that are not productive anymore.

HARVESTING:

Enjoy reaping the fruits of your work and dedication, yet don’t harvest too late, otherwise your vegetables will not taste that nice and will not be as nutritious anymore.

SUCCESSION PLANTING:

Keep planting new seeds and seedlings in the spaces that are free after you have harvested or removed old plants. Do this continuously, and you can grow more and will not waste water where there is nothing growing.

INVOLVE FAMILY AND NEIGHBOURS:

Get members of your household to join you in gardening, especially children. You can also help your neighbours with their garden and work together with them, so that you can look after each other’s gardens when one of you is not home.

More details and tips: www.nafsan.org